← All verbs
Verb conjugation

conserver

to keep (in a particular place); to retain, conserve, preserve

Usage

Conserver means to keep, preserve, or maintain — food (conserver au frais), a habit, a document, or a good relationship (conserver de bons rapports). It's the everyday verb behind conserve (canned food) and conservateur (preservative, or politically 'conservative').

Examples
  • Conservez ce document précieusement.Keep this document safely.
  • Il faut conserver les légumes au réfrigérateur.Vegetables need to be kept in the fridge.
  • Ils ont conservé une relation amicale.They've maintained a friendly relationship.
Common mistake

Conserver means to keep or preserve something you already have, not to save money — 'saving money' is économiser or épargner, not conserver de l'argent, a common mix-up for English speakers thinking of 'conserve.'

Simple tenses

Present

jeconserve
tuconserves
il/elleconserve
nousconservons
vousconservez
ils/ellesconservent

Imperfect

jeconservais
tuconservais
il/elleconservait
nousconservions
vousconserviez
ils/ellesconservaient

Past historic (passé simple)

jeconservai
tuconservas
il/elleconserva
nousconservâmes
vousconservâtes
ils/ellesconservèrent

Future

jeconserverai
tuconserveras
il/elleconservera
nousconserverons
vousconserverez
ils/ellesconserveront

Conditional

jeconserverais
tuconserverais
il/elleconserverait
nousconserverions
vousconserveriez
ils/ellesconserveraient

Subjunctive

jeconserve
tuconserves
il/elleconserve
nousconservions
vousconserviez
ils/ellesconservent

Subjunctive (imperfect)

jeconservasse
tuconservasses
il/elleconservât
nousconservassions
vousconservassiez
ils/ellesconservassent

Imperative

tuconserve
nousconservons
vousconservez

Compound tenses

Passé composé

jeai conservé
tuas conservé
il/ellea conservé
nousavons conservé
vousavez conservé
ils/ellesont conservé

Plus-que-parfait

jeavais conservé
tuavais conservé
il/elleavait conservé
nousavions conservé
vousaviez conservé
ils/ellesavaient conservé

Passé antérieur

jeeus conservé
tueus conservé
il/elleeut conservé
nouseûmes conservé
vouseûtes conservé
ils/elleseurent conservé

Futur antérieur

jeaurai conservé
tuauras conservé
il/elleaura conservé
nousaurons conservé
vousaurez conservé
ils/ellesauront conservé

Conditionnel passé

jeaurais conservé
tuaurais conservé
il/elleaurait conservé
nousaurions conservé
vousauriez conservé
ils/ellesauraient conservé

Subjonctif passé

jeaie conservé
tuaies conservé
il/elleait conservé
nousayons conservé
vousayez conservé
ils/ellesaient conservé

Subjonctif plus-que-parfait

jeeusse conservé
tueusses conservé
il/elleeût conservé
nouseussions conservé
vouseussiez conservé
ils/elleseussent conservé

Impératif passé

tuaie conservé
nousayons conservé
vousayez conservé

Other

Present participle

conservant

Past participle

conservé

Infinitive

conserver

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "conserver" mean?

"conserver" means "to keep (in a particular place); to retain, conserve, preserve".

How do you conjugate "conserver" in the present tense?

The present of "conserver" is: je conserve, tu conserves, il/elle conserve, nous conservons, vous conservez, ils/elles conservent.

What is the Passé composé of "conserver"?

The passé composé of "conserver" is: je ai conservé, tu as conservé, il/elle a conservé, nous avons conservé, vous avez conservé, ils/elles ont conservé.

What is the Imperative of "conserver"?

The imperative of "conserver" is: tu conserve, nous conservons, vous conservez.